


Afraid but Brave

by writing_ramblings



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, Character Death, F/M, Not Really Character Death, Pre-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 04:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3795955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writing_ramblings/pseuds/writing_ramblings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>War has begun.</p><p>Both knew one of them wouldn't survive. Even if the odds were against Harry, he wanted to do nothing more than to keep her safe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Afraid but Brave

Chaos erupted in seconds. Crowds of students still in uniform went up and down the stars, pushing each other, but not enough to cause an accident. Some hung back in a corner, frozen and knees trembling, to fight or to flee? 

“Harry! Focus on finding the horcrux!” Harry could hear Hermione telling him if she were by his side. But he could only focus on one thing right now: locks of platinum hair going up the stairs, jumping up and down over a tiny body. He was so glad she still wore the fuchsia pants he rescued her in. They stood out over the sea of black in case the light her hair created wasn’t enough. 

“Luna!” He called as he ran behind her, pushing everyone in his way to get to the girl, but this was a battle. It even felt like the good were fighting with each other. Between the screams, the cries of first years that have nothing to do in here and the ringing in his ears, only Luna could break all that. “Luna!” He kept calling, but the little blonde girl couldn’t hear him; did she even wanted to? He thought once as his feet kept running. The fear of losing her in a second was eating him alive, it could kill him before Voldemort got to him. He already lost her once, he didn’t want to lose her again, forever.

He saw how the determined Ravenclaw kept going up the spiraling stairs, pushing people bigger than her. As he got closer, he heard her innocent voice “excuse me”, she said, as if this was just lunch rush during school periods. 

“Luna!” Harry finally reached her wrist, making her turn around with her wide opened eyes.

“What is it, Harry?” She asked like nothing. 

“Er-nothing big, just late for potions,” it surprised him how he could find humor in a time like this. It was that or snap like he knew he still will if this didn’t go well. “You need to go,” Harry said, grabbing both of her shoulders and pleading with his eyes under a sweaty forehead and nose with the bridge of his glasses slipping. “Please” 

“No, Harry! I want to fight! I want to help you!” In her eyes, the innocence took form of a lioness. 

“Please, go. I’ll be fine. Find a way to get out and I’ll look for you as soon as this is over. I promise I’ll look for you.” His eyes kept begging her to leave, to stay safe, but she didn't obey. “You want to help? You can take some of the first years out of here, somehow. I know you’ll come up with a way! You’re brilliant!”

“Listen, Harry,” she kept talking so soothing, even if other students kept pushing them to get out of their way. “I’m going to help you. I know where you can get what you need. Let me find it, you take care of Voldemort!” 

A grin appeared on Harry’s lips for a second, remembering how before You-Know-Who’s name became taboo, she wasn’t afraid to say it then and wasn’t afraid to mention it now or to go alone in this. He slowly slid his hand in hers, making a tight knot that gave both enough strength. “We’ll do this together then.”

\-------------------

The hallways of the castle were empty now. People were mourning the dead in the great hall or in the halls around it. Luna made her way through fallen pillars, debris and bodies of Death Eaters that no one will bother to move. The Ravenclaw didn’t think completely like that, though. She still found pity for them, they chose the wrong path and she wished they would have chosen right for them. Even if the bodies she saw wore black cloaks, she would still look to inspect, see if she saw a familiar face, hoping she wouldn’t. She started to come across her classmates, huddled up in corners with someone else or crying over the bodies of the good. She looked over those too and apologized for their loss.

As she walked closer to the great hall, her body shivered stronger. She remembers the snake’s voice ringing in her ears. He was demanding Harry Potter and she froze to his command. She would have been beside him in a heartbeat, but the Death Eater she faced wouldn’t back down even by his master’s orders. 

She wouldn’t be apart from Harry in the first place if it weren’t for the masked man. After the destruction of Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, they were heading outside, Harry leading the way knowing what the remaining horcrux was. But on the way to the boat house, a trail of smoke swiped her away and she heard Harry screaming for her. 

She fell to the floor and a masked figure stood in front of him, wand up and ready to fight. She had to thank George Weasley for appearing at the right moment and helping her fight him off while more surrounded them. He sprung out as soon as the Death Eaters ceased fire, but a hand grabbed her ankle and another small fight began.

Luna didn’t blame Harry for not going after her, if he had when he was so close at defeating Voldemort, she wouldn’t forgive him that easy. He was with Hermione and Ron, she knew she could trust them to watch over Harry.

When she reached the entrance of the castle, there were students outside already and Luna hoped for the best. In time of war, there is no better thing to do. She squeezed in between alive bodies to get a better view of Harry standing tall over Voldermort’s body. 

“Harry Potter…is dead!” Those words echoed in Luna’s ears and her hopes faded. She felt her world stopped as her legs walked through the crowd, kicking ricks and pieces of concrete out of her way. Feeling like she could fall any second. Her heart suddenly stopped as the sight became clearer. She saw Harry, her Harry, sleeping on Hagrid’s arms. 

“No…,” she whispered as her lips trembled in hesitation to believe her words. Her blue eyes started to drown in bitter tears. She closed her eyes to make it all go away, but when her eyelids opened up again, letting go of a tear, the torn picture was still there. An ugly sight of darkness fogged her vision. Her knees were about to give up, she could feel them crumbling under her weight. She was too young to process her mother's death, but she knew this is how she would have felt as well.

It was all over. Not only is the chosen one, the salvation of the magical world, gone, but her love had vanished along with him.


End file.
